PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 18, 2024 – Atlanta, Georgia
Dr. Paula Harmon applauds the efforts of fellow advocates, medical doctors, and parents in the latest victory for mandatory early testing for pediatric hearing loss in Georgia.
On October 10, 2024, a new amendment enacted by the Georgia Department of Public Health requiring “Testing for Inherited Disorders in the Newborn’s” went into effect. Early testing can identify the presence of the Cytomegalovirus (CMV) often responsible for hearing loss and other birth defects in newborns. Approximately, 1 out of every 200 newborns in the U.S. are born with congenital CMV.
CMV is a common virus. Once infected, your body retains the virus for life. Women who develop an active CMV infection during pregnancy can pass the virus to their babies, who might then experience symptoms. For people who have weakened immune systems, especially people who have had an organ, stem cell or bone marrow transplant, CMV infection can be fatal.
CMV spreads from person to person through body fluids, such as blood, saliva, urine, semen and breast milk. There is no cure, but there are medications and early therapies that can help treat the symptoms.
Dr. Paula Harmon, a Pediatric Otolaryngologist and head and neck surgeon at Pediatric Ear, Nose, and Throat of Atlanta (PENTA) used her voice and position as the Chairwoman of the Hearing Loss Committee to the Georgia Department of Public Health to advocate for the latest amendment.
“This has been a year’s long process to require early hospital-based timely CMV testing but a process worth advocating for Georgia’s children,” said Dr. Harmon.
Newborns can be tested for cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection through urine, saliva, or blood test within the first 2–3 weeks of birth. Testing after 21 days can make it difficult to determine if the baby was infected before or after birth.
Test results are generally available within 3–7 days. Babies who test positive for CMV at birth can be treated with antiviral medication to reduce the severity of hearing loss. The baby will need to be monitored by Pediatric ENT doctors and other early intervention specialists to monitor treatments and disease progression.
Georgia joins over ten other states who require newborn CMV testing. Minnesota was the first state to enact universal newborn CMV screening in 2021.
ABOUT PEDIATRIC EAR, NOSE, AND THROAT OF ATLANTA
Backed by a team of Board-Certified, Fellowship-Trained pediatric specialists and audiologists, Pediatric Ear, Nose, and Throat of Atlanta (PENTA) is the leading privately-operated pediatric ENT providers in the metropolitan area of Atlanta. The practice operates two Atlanta locations, and satellite locations in Alpharetta, Duluth, and Marietta, Georgia.
